


Magnetic Genetics

by Skye_Willows



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Connor and Niles are twins, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mild Angst, Niles is stubborn but lovable, Slight injury at the start but its not bad, Witches and other magical creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22129450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skye_Willows/pseuds/Skye_Willows
Summary: What does that old saying go- fight like cats and dogs? Of course it's also true that opposites attract.A cat takes an interest in Connor, and his somewhat narrow-minded, shapeshifting twin brother attacks it.Not Niles' brightest idea when the cat turns out to be a lonely familiar looking for a new witch.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 19
Kudos: 137
Collections: Reed900WinterGiftExchange19





	Magnetic Genetics

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EmberSH](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberSH/gifts).



> Hi everyone! This is a small gift for the lovely Ember, who was my giftee to the Reed900 Winter Gift Exchange. I hope you enjoy this little piece of fun! I love making these boys be mildly stupid but actually really soft for each other.

“Ni, will you please stop staring out the window? It’s just a cat!” Connor exclaimed from where he was doing some research for experimenting with a new spell. His eyes were narrowed upon the snow white husky which was lowly growling out of the aperture, glowering at the brown cat which had been hanging around their garden for the best part of a week now.

The witch knew that his twin couldn’t really help his animalistic instincts – one of the downsides of being a shapeshifter – but this was getting more than a little ridiculous.

It was a  _ cat _ . Just because Niles was a dog didn’t mean he had to follow the stereotype and want to chase all of them.

**_Connor, surely you are aware than a normal cat would not be able to get through our protective shield?_ ** Niles spoke back via their mental connection. The younger twin was more than happy to stay in his animalistic form and glare at the intruder, which was currently sat in the tree only a few metres from the window. Even though it was up high, Niles could see that it was staring at his twin – all of his instincts were screaming that the cat was  _ not  _ good news.

“Yes, I am aware,” the older twin snipped before hissing as he cut his finger on the edge of a page. Damn papercuts were the worst. “But something being magical doesn’t make it  _ evil _ , Ni. It might just belong to someone else who is magically versed, we aren’t the only supernatural beings who live in this neighbourhood.”

**_As a shapeshifter, I have made a point of acquainting myself with all other enchanted animals in the vicinity to evaluate both potential threats and allies. This feline has never crossed our path,_ ** the dog argued back.

Unimpressed at how bull-headed his brother was being, Connor stomper over and grabbed Niles by the scruff. “Ni, just leave it! If it is cursed or something like you’re so paranoid about, I’m sure, then you might just piss it off! We’ll keep an eye out and watch it over the next couple of days, okay?”

Niles was not happy, and he huffed as Connor pulled him away and closed the curtains pointedly. He really did not like that cat…and he wasn’t going to wait several days to find out just how wrong Connor was about its intentions.

He was going to sort this out as soon as he found the opportunity.

* * *

That opportunity came sooner than Niles thought it might, happening that night. While the cat had been frequenting their garden for much of its time it was leaving for periods, no doubt to get food or return to its owner. It always returned, however, and the intensity with which it stared at Connor kept Niles’ senses on high alert. 

He’d been watching the cat from a window on the second storey when he’d noticed that Connor was out in their garden gathering some herbs. Niles cursed his brother’s idiocy and lack of self-regard when he noticed the cat shifting to a tree much nearer his brother. That simply wasn’t going to go uninterrupted, and before Niles could really control himself, he had launched out of the open window to hurl himself at the cat.

It noticed Niles’ noisy approach and hissed in an effort to scurry away but the hound had been too fast. The pair collided and the branch beneath them snapped under the increased weight. Niles kicked at the cat again during their fall and it hit the ground with a sickening crunch before howling in pain. Quickly changing to a bird, Niles landed gracefully and shifted back to his favoured dog from while channelling into the enchanted amulet around his neck. His magic might not be the same as his brother’s, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t wield some offensive magic of his own thanks to Connor’s efforts.

Niles wasn’t the only one with a magical totem, however, and he almost recoiled at realising the cat was wearing one almost like a makeshift collar. Now confirmed that this cat wasn’t just a companion animal and was indeed a conscious wielder of magic, Niles let loose with his icy frost. A wall of flame rose from the grass to protect the feline but the cat’s injuries meant that it couldn’t sustain the magic forever. Realising that it was weakening, Niles poured more effort into spell to try and overpower it.

“Stop it!” Niles yelped when his nose was bashed by a human hand and he glared up at Connor angrily. The older brother was not having any of it though and turned his attention to where the cat was. “Now look what you’ve done, Niles!” When the shapeshifter’s eyes followed Connor’s running form he was prepared to summon another wintry spell to shield his brother-

Except the cat was gone. In its place was wounded human who was unconscious and pale.

“Connor be careful!” Niles shifted back to his own form and raced to his brother’s side but was shocked when Connor shoved him away.

“You’ve done more than enough with your paranoia, Niles,” Connor scolded as he pulled out a clear stone and placed it over the still man’s chest. A seeing stone: a magical item which could ascertain the type of magic coursing through a being if left on its form long enough. He was waiting for it to come back as either red to show a demon or black for a shade, prove that Connor’s soft heart had been misplaced and Niles’ caution had been merited. Maybe even the green of another shapeshifter – magical animals were not often a good thing. 

His breath caught when the stone came back a pale yellow and Niles looked at the unconscious man in regret. “Since when did a familiar live in this part of the city? There hasn’t been one here for over 20 years!” Niles exclaimed

Connor was also taken aback but sighed at Niles’ statement. “I’m one of only a handful of witches who have lived here, Niles, this isn’t a common area for my kind to settle. Though I’m surprised he didn’t just announce himself given what he is…” The older brother shook his head and cast a pointed look towards the downed familiar’s leg. It was obviously broken and quite badly at that, probably what had caused him to squeal after the fall from the tree.

“Help me get him inside – then we can try and solve this mess,” Connor instructed, which Niles obeyed easily. His heart was heavy as he took the unconscious man into his arms and carried him inside, unable to stop wondering why a familiar had come to Connor. They normally approached witches who were in need of companionship or guidance but Connor did not fall into either of those categories: he had Niles as an animal companion and was the most knowledgeable witch in the state.

So why…?

* * *

Their answer came unexpectedly several days later. The familiar – Gavin – had stayed asleep for almost a day before coming to once more as Connor’s healing spells got to work. Unfortunately they didn’t work as well for someone whose DNA was intertwined with that of an animal, a hurdle that they had discovered from Niles getting injured occasionally, but they sped up the process. When Gavin had woken, he’d tried to shift and flee in panic at being inside the brothers’ house.

Connor had managed to catch the limping cat and ease his concerns, while asking a few questions to what Gavin was doing there. He’d not said anything about that but when Connor had asked if there was anyone that Gavin would want to know where he was, it turned out a close acquaintance knew enough of the missing pieces to enlighten the brothers.

“Fucking hell, Gavin. I thought you’d croaked it when you didn’t come back!”

“You’d be so fucking lucky, Hank.”

Hank, the resident alchemist in the city who was also a herbal medicine seller for non-magical folk, was a long-time friend of both Connor and Niles. He’d known the brothers since they moved to Detroit and given them a lot of good advice over the years. Where to avoid, who could be trusted in the magical circles, a safe place to live…The older man had helped them out of a few tight spots; which was why they were surprised to learn that the familiar had been living with Hank for some time.

He explained to Connor and Niles how he’d come across Gavin badly injured when another witch came to him looking for help after a run in with a banshee. Gavin had been deathly ill and the witch was not willing to spend months waiting for his recovery to be complete – so Gavin had been abandoned. Hank had kept him safe at home for nearly a year since.

Gavin had decided that he wanted to look for another witch to become a companion to and Hank had suggested a few people – Connor had been one of them but Hank had warned Gavin that Niles might not be receptive to another magical person in their household, so had encouraged him to observe the brothers from afar before making an approach.

Niles’ stomach contents soured a little after he’d gotten over his initial anger at the fact that Hank had warned Gavin about him. It turned out the older man knew him all too well and Niles was indeed hostile to anyone else who had come too near. The brothers had been burned before and Niles was fiercely protective of Connor. A combination of brotherly love and shapeshifter instinct, but it was no excuse for how he’d treated Gavin.

After a discussion, Connor had agreed to Gavin staying during his recovery (which shouldn’t be more than a week thanks to Connor’s magic) to see if the familiar would be a good fit. Gavin was amenable to that but it was very obvious that he wanted nothing to do with Niles. It was so bad that the familiar would change into his cat form and vanish into a corner of ‘his’ room if Niles came near.

The shapeshifter knew he’d fucked up badly, but he didn’t know how to start going about fixing it. 

Connor suggested Niles take some herbal tea upstairs for Gavin to drink. A combination of Hank’s remedies, something comforting for Gavin now that he wasn’t staying with the older man, and Connor’s healing powders. Niles took a deep breath as he knocked on the door and waited until Gavin called through that he could come in before entering.

Predictably, the minute Gavin realised it was Niles and not Connor he shifted to his cat from and clumsily climbed to the top of a dresser so that he could hiss at the shapeshifter. He’d gotten much better at leaping around with his weakened leg and was relatively mobile now, if not exactly elegant. Niles was not surprised and let out a sad little sigh as he set the tray down on the table near the bed.

Gavin watched suspiciously as Niles poured a cup for the familiar and left it ready for whenever Gavin came back down. Once that was done, the shapeshifter looked up to the familiar and took note of the fact that Gavin seemed curious. His hackles were still raised, but there was no other sign of hostility. That didn’t stop the cat from backing up as Niles came a little closer, which made his heart break a bit. From what he’d learned from Hank, Gavin already had severe issues with trust and Niles’ actions won’t have helped in that regard.

“Please, help yourself to the tea,” he offered gently, “it is a mixture of Hank’s herbal medicines and Connor’s healing powders. Hopefully your leg should be healed in a few more days with the effects.” Niles had no idea on how to start a conversation when the familiar was still so unsure of him; when the cat made no effort to move, he sighed regretfully and began to wander out.

He was surprised when he found a book bouncing off his head not seconds later, wondering how that happened. A quick look down confirmed that it had come from exactly where Gavin was sitting - and the cat had now completely relaxed to the point that his tail was twirling a little triumphantly.

When Niles realised that, yes, Gavin had swiped that book at his head on purpose, he laughed a little and rubbed the spot where it had hit. “Guess I deserved that…” The familiar was still watching him intently and Niles finally swallowed his pride to let out the words he should have said before he was about to leave like a coward.

“I’m sorry, Gavin,” he said sincerely. “I don’t know how much you have seen of Connor and I from your observations, but we are fiercely close. Sometimes that bond and my own protective instincts can...blind me, from what may otherwise be a logical action. We do not have many allies, so when I found you in our garden out of the blue I became immensely suspicious. 

“I should have first tried to approach you, rather than outright attack. If I’d thought things through more I may have realised that you are a familiar, as rare as you are around here. Not that I can say anything given how out of place Connor and I are in this area of Detroit.”

After realising that he was rambling, Niles cleared his throat to get back on track. “Anyway, I apologise for how I acted and I can assure you that I will stay out of your way if you wish it. As a contributory to that, should you wish to ask Connor as to whether he would appreciate a familiar to join us, I will not intervene.”

Deciding that he’d said enough, Niles was getting ready to move again when he noticed Gavin stand and slowly climb down from the dresser. It was a little unsteady given his limp leg, but the familiar made his way down safely and leapt onto the table with the drink. He took a couple of quick laps and purred in contentment before looking at Niles again.

**Consider us even,** came the voice in Niles’ mind, and he couldn’t deny that the internal rumble made his heart speed up a bit. This was the first time he’d heard Gavin speak with any confidence or real strength, he’d only heard the familiar from a distance until then. The cat then firmly ignored Niles in favour of the treat in front of him.

Niles smiled to himself as he left, hoping that it meant Gavin had accepted his apology. Maybe.

* * *

Once recovered, Gavin decided to stay with the brothers. It had been a tense when Gavin was finally up and about since he was still tiptoeing around Niles, but the shapeshifter kept to his word and made sure not to get in the way as Connor and Gavin started discussing whether the witch would want Gavin as a familiar. While there wouldn’t normally be such a lengthy debate about the topic (most witches took on familiars with little preamble), they were no regular pairing.

Gavin had already been abandoned once and Connor didn’t want Niles to feel put out by having another animal-based being in their home. It turned out that the pair worked well in brainstorming however and Gavin had as much of an interest in problem solving as Connor. Thus the decision was made...but something interesting started happening about two weeks after it.

Niles was being trolled - except he wasn’t sure what had merited it. He’d now fallen foul of pranks four times over three months. 

Once where he was asked to help Connor find an ingredient in the basement, only to be locked in. Shifting into a mouse to get out of a vent was most definitely  **_not_ ** Niles’ favourite form, and he’d had to run from Gavin when he stumbled upon the familiar in his cat form. Of course his first attempted mode of escape was to fly away as a bird, which just enticed the feline more for a cheeky catch. It had finally ended when Niles turned into his husky form and rounded on the cat, but there had been a strange playfulness to the debacle.

Next came Niles being asked to try out a power amplification amulet, only to be morphed and stuck in the form of a turtle. He was not amused, and it did not help when Gavin turned him onto his back and just left Niles there for a grand total of  **_five_ ** hours.

Then came when Hank had joined them at the house to try out brewing a potion that Connor had researched...only for it to explode and send Gavin shooting up the chimney in a panic. Niles couldn’t say much as he’d promptly hid inside the piano, but at least he didn’t cause any damage when he’d reemerged. Gavin had been covered head to toe in soot; only to decide that the best way to get clean was to roll around on Niles’ white fur.

If Niles hadn’t enjoyed it so much, he’d have chased Gavin around the house for that one.

And finally it came to today’s incident. Niles had decided he was going to bake a pie for Connor as part of a celebration for his brother being awarded a grant at a magical research institute in Detroit, after Hank had convinced Connor to go for it and the witch had been stunned when he was successful. Given both twins were shy about the outside world it was a massive step for them, but from the joy on Connor’s face Niles knew it was a worthwhile gamble to take.

He’d been in the kitchen, rolling out some pastry when a bag of flour had landed square on his head. Niles scowled up at the cupboard and used his animalistic hearing to pick up on the decidedly smug purring from within it. A little unamused that Connor’s surprise was suffering because Gavin had decided to troll him, Niles opened the cupboard and scowled at the cat. Gavin was smirking down at him, tail twirling lazily as he watched Niles for a reaction.

The shapeshifter grabbed Gavin by the scruff and ignored the cat’s yelps as he was dragged out to be held at Niles’ eye level. “I hope you’re proud of yourself, this was for Connor,” Niles groused while brushing off some of the excess flour. “Now I’ll have to start all over again.”

Niles might have been expecting a cheeky retort over their mental link (he’d discovered that Gavin had a wicked sense of humour on the few times that he was unguarded enough). Maybe even a slightly malicious swipe to the face. 

What Niles hadn’t accounted for was the cat licking his cheek affectionately while purring even louder. Shock caused Niles to drop Gavin, who sauntered away with a decidedly proud swagger. 

Gavin morphed from his cat form to his human one and winked at Niles as he stopped at the door. “I don’t start games I can’t win,” was all he said before leaving. Niles wanted to be angry at the familiar...but instead he couldn’t stop himself from blushing. 

He decided that Gavin was thoroughly forgiven for the prank when more ingredients turned up in the kitchen an hour later, after Niles had gone for a  _ very  _ long shower to get his mind off whatever was going on between him and Connor’s familiar.

* * *

Months turned into a year, and Niles still couldn’t make heads or tails about what it was that he and Gavin shared. Connor and Gavin had become fearsome friends as their bond deepened, but the increased magical presence at their house had caught some attention - not to mention Connor’s new fame. The trio had become more battle ready just on the off chance that anyone might want to challenge them, but thus far they’d not had any issues.

The pranks continued, and once Niles had realised that Gavin had been going out of his way to get one up on the shapeshifter it had almost become a game. Connor had grown used to the sounds of Niles chasing Gavin around the house in their animal forms, a game that usually ended with Gavin leaping up somewhere too high for Niles to reach as a dog. It then became a competition for Connor and Gavin to guess which animal Niles would shift to in an attempt to apprehend Gavin. Sometimes he was simplistic (such as a crow or a monkey), but the time he’d changed into a giraffe and misjudged the height of the roof wouldn’t soon be forgotten. 

Add that to Gavin’s frequent attempts to dunk the shapeshifter in water, potions, powders or lock him various sections of the house...it became a lot more lively in their old house and Niles would not be shy to admit that he loved it.

Everything came crashing to a halt when Gavin’s former witch came back, looking to reclaim his familiar.

The brothers had realised that a powerful witch had arrived at their homestead, but Gavin’s instant morphing from his cat form to his human one had them confused. “Eli? What are you doing here?” Gavin demanded harshly, and the twins suddenly realised who was standing before them.

Gavin had told them stories about Elijah eventually, how his former companion dabbled in some...questionable magic, which had eventually led to the banshee which had so badly hurt Gavin being summoned. They’d been enraged when they learned that Gavin had used almost all of his magic (the fire amulet which he carried had been a gift from his mother when he was young) in defending Elijah, only to be abandoned after it.

It was a scar that they knew still affected Gavin badly, especially given a familiar’s deep ties to a witch once a bond was established. They’d bonded while children, so had been together for over fifteen years before Gavin had been so callously left behind. Seeing Elijah turn up now was more than a little shocking.

“I’ve come back for you, Gavin,” Elijah told him plainly while looking at the brothers behind the familiar. “I was convinced that you wouldn’t survive the injuries from the banshee and I wasn’t prepared to watch you perish. Naïvely, I thought leaving you would make it hurt less when I felt you vanish. Imagine my surprise when it never happened.”

The other witch’s face softened a little. “I may have another familiar now, but there is no forgetting all of the adventures we shared together. We grew up together, Gavin, and I’m sorry that I left you. I wanted to take you home as a friend and companion.”

Elijah was halfway to closing the gap between himself and Gavin when a snow white husky launched between them and started barking ferociously. Ice and snow whirled around him and Gavin was taken aback by the defensiveness of the shapeshifter. “Niles?” A quick look behind proved that Connor was also ready for combat, his own magic swirling between his hands and ready to be set forth.

A deep scowl set itself over Elijah’s face and he stared harshly at the twins. “This does not concern either of you - I advise you to stay out of this.”

“You’re trying to entice my familiar to leave with you after all the hurt you caused him. This is very much my business,” Connor snapped as Niles let loose an icicle in front of Elijah as a warning.

**_Touch him and you’ll be skewered where you stand,_ ** the shapeshifter warned, which had Gavin’s heart racing at the loyalty and devotion shown by the pair. He known that his relationship with Connor was close, but to think that Niles was also so determined that he remain…

“Elijah.” Connor and Elijah’s focus shifted to Gavin as he spoke, but Niles kept glaring and snarling at the hostile witch. “You left me, you  _ abandoned  _ me. That is not a wound that I can simply forget or forgive. It’s not even as if we were simply companions: we were witch and familiar. That’s a bond as deep as blood, and yet you decided I wasn’t worth the time to wait and see if I would live. Or rather, you weren’t brave enough to be there for me when I needed it.”

He took a deep breath before transforming and going back to Connor. Gavin leapt up off a nearby ornament and landed gracefully on Connor’s shoulder, making sure to sit proudly as he stared at his former witch.  **I’m staying here** **_,_ ** he declared.

Everything was tense for several seconds as the twins remained ready with their magic should Elijah decide to become a foe, but eventually the other witch let out a forlorn sigh and relaxed his posture. They all saw the reluctant acceptance. “Very well,” Elijah relented. “I can see that you have forged deep relationships here; at least I know you shall be very well taken care of. Should you ever change your mind, Gavin, you know where I conducted my research. I shall be there with Chloe if you wish to come home.”

**I am home, Eli.**

With that last statement Elijah left, but it still took until the other witch was far beyond the outer boundaries of their neighbourhood before Connor eased. He let loose with the vine spell that he’d been holding and ensnared the iron gates of their home, making it clear that no-one else would be welcome for the day. “Well, that was a surprise.”

**You’re telling me.** Gavin leapt down from Connor’s shoulder and shook himself off to release some of the tension, only to find himself be slowly bowled over from a knock to his side. He jumped back up with a scowl but soon found an overly affectionate husky headbutting him gently.

Connor laughed at how Gavin froze and came over to ruffle Niles’ fur. “That’s Niles saying that he’s glad you’re staying,” he elaborated. “You know by now that he’s not always the best with words, he often finds it easier to express himself via actions and that applies even more when he’s shifted.” Gavin looked first at Connor and then at Niles in confusion, but the husky then licked right across Gavin’s face.

The cat was not impressed and bolted, Niles tearing after him as they started another game of tag. Connor sighed and waited until they’d looped around the house once before fetching a pouch from his belt that he’d been preparing for a while. As Gavin ran past, Connor dumped half the powder on the cat while the rest covered Niles. Both men tumbled across the grass as they were kicked back into their human forms.

Gavin came to a stop first and Niles almost landed square on top of him, ending up bracketing Gavin’s upper body with his own as they lay panting on the grass. They both blushed as Connor dusted off his hands. “Right, if you two would be so kind as to not be stubborn assholes anymore and actually admit that you like each other, that would do me the world of good. Honestly, this stupid dance of playing games to rile the other up can get so tiresome. I’ll see you two inside later.”

Both of them gawped at Connor’s retreating form before turning to look at each other. Gavin coughed awkwardly and gave a half hearted squirm at the intense stare from Niles. “Well...this is awkward,” he muttered. 

Niles chuckled and nuzzled Gavin’s cheek, to which the smaller man’s blush became even more fierce. “I hate it when my brother does not trust me to handle my own affairs. I was quite content with how our relationship was progressing.”

That earned a raised eyebrow from Gavin. “Fighting like cats and dogs?”

“They do say that opposite attract, after all,” Niles smiled before rubbing his cheek to Gavin’s again. 

A thought occurred to Gavin and he swallowed before raising a hand to press against Niles’ chest. He could feel just how hard the shapeshifter’s heart was beating, which convinced Gavin that maybe he wasn’t just imagining Niles’ interest. “You launched yourself between Elijah and I, despite knowing what he’s capable of. Why?”

Niles paused for a moment but eventually decided that the best answer was, once again, an action. He slowly leant down and pressed his lips to Gavin’s, enjoying the quiet moan that it earned. “I protect those dear to me,” Niles elaborated when they parted. “It’s in my DNA to defend those who are in my pack, a side effect of having a natural disposition towards transforming into a husky. You are my brother’s familiar, you are part of my family.”

Gavin looked up at Niles, a little unsure. “Is that all I am?”

“It was until ten seconds ago...but you are welcome to be more if you want to be. You were the first to kiss me all those months ago when I was baking that pie for Connor.”

“Hey! I did that to surprise you and to get you to unscruff me!” Gavin defended, but the redness creeping down his neck gave away that it wasn’t the only reason. “And what was with you slobbering over me five minutes ago in that case?”

The shapeshifter chuckled. “I was quite moved by how you declared you were staying, I could not help myself. Are you honestly complaining given that we have ended up here?”

“Dog slobber is the  _ worst  _ feeling as a cat. It’s fucking disgusting!” Gavin glared.

“Hmmm, I wonder how such an action would compare as humans then,” Niles smirked before diving in to kiss Gavin again. Safe to say, Gavin enjoyed it much more when Niles was in his human form - not that it would stop Niles from winding Gavin up in the future. 

Seeing the cat yowl and squeal whenever he was licked was far too funny, and the perfect payback for any pranks he fell foul of.


End file.
